Committing to a Personal Architecture of Engagement

Over the past few weeks, we have been on a fun journey through our discussion on The Architecture of Engagement based on the report entitled, "Actively Engaging Students in Asynchronous Online Classes" by Shannon A. Riggs and Kathryn E. Linder (2016). In case you missed it, we talked about

• Architectural Element 1: Syllabus Communication and Engagement Policy- See Blog Post, "The Architecture of Engagement: Part 1"
• Architectural Element 2: Course Orientation- See Blog Post, "The Architecture of Engagement: Part 2"
• Architectural Element 3: Modular Course Structure- See Blog Post, "The Architecture of Engagement: Part 3"

Now that we have identified the various components of an Architecture of Engagement, why not commit to your own personal plan for engagement. How can you restructure your Syllabus to enhance engagement? How can you provide an engaging course orientation for your students? How can you structure your course in your learning management system so that it is structured and still engaging.

In addition to these consideration, Riggs & Linder (2016) also recommend really committing to the architecture of engagement by making some additional course decisions. These include decisions such as:

• How long will it take you to respond to students?
• How long will it take you to provide feedback on assignments?
• How will you communicate with students and how often?
• When will you participate in the course?
• Will you participate in the Discussion Boards publicly?

While these are important decisions to make, one thing that I notice most educators don't consider is the the time it will take to play an active role in their course. I would recommend taking a look at your schedule and intentionally making time to complete the activities listed above. For instance, I set aside time on Tuesday and Thursday of each week for grading, communications and course prep. I commit to 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon of each day (because four hours straight would make me go nuts!).

What about you? What engagement activities will you commit to and when will you schedule time to complete them? Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas in The Online Educator Facebook Group by clicking the link HERE. Also, as a treat don’t forget to GRAB YOUR FREE GUIDE to the 3 Secrets to Teaching Online Successfully.